1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a closure for a fluid container and, more particularly, to a resealable closure for a fluid container that permits a person to drink from the container without removing the closure from the container and without interference from the closure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Several types of closures for resealably closing a fluid container are known in the art. A removable cap may be provided on the fluid container, the removal of which requires the cap to be detached by, for example, an unscrewing action, from the container. This type of cap may be easily misplaced or lost. Further, this type of cap generally requires the use of two hands for removal, thereby limiting its usefulness. For example, persons engaged in exercise, operating a vehicle or riding a bicycle should not use this type of closure. As the screw-type cap generally requires several turns to remove the cap from the container, the act of opening and closing the container may become an inconvenience and a distraction to those desiring to repeatedly open and close the container in a short period of time.
Another type of closure includes a movable cylindrical member having a central orifice, which is resealably sealed by a stationary stem. This type of closure need not be removed from the container in order to gain access to the fluid. When this type of closure is in a closed position, the cylindrical member is pushed downwardly so that the stem substantially plugs the orifice, preventing the flow of fluid from the fluid container therethrough. When this type of closure is in an open position, the cylindrical member is pulled upwardly so that the stem is positioned away from the orifice, thereby allowing fluid to flow from the fluid container therethrough. This type of closure permits the cylindrical portion to enter the mouth of a person to minimize or eliminate spilling the fluid. This type of closure, however, generally requires the use of two hands to open or close the closure, which may be disadvantageous to, for example, a person exercising, operating a vehicle or riding a bicycle as discussed in the above.
Another type of closure is one that includes a flip-type lid or cap, which is rotated about a hinge to expose an aperture, through which the fluid may flow when the closure is in an open position. This type of closure does not include a spout that may be inserted into the mouth. Thus, to eliminate spillage, the fluid must be ejected through the aperture under pressure by, for example, squeezing the fluid container, to direct a stream of the fluid into the mouth. This squeezing action may cause fatigue or other undesirable stresses on the container. Additionally, the effectiveness of the squeezing action may be reduced as the level of fluid in the container decreases. Further, the hinge of the flip-type lid permits only limited rotation of the lid. Thus, a person attempting to drink the fluid will experience interference with the lid if the closure is brought too close to the face, thereby hindering the drinking process.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,160,327 to Porcelli describes a dispensing spout having a diaphragm for sealing the same and a captive cap for reusably closing the spout. The diaphragm is integrally molded with the dispensing spout, and a single flexible hinge connects the cap to the spout.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,269,330 to Johnson describes a cartridge-type sauce extruder. The extruder includes an extrusion orifice at one end and is open at the other end to receive a movable bottom plug. The orifice is sealed with a disc that is pre-scored or pre-cut to form a multi-segmented nozzle. At the time of filling, the orifice is closed with a piece of impervious film-like material to form a seal to protect the orifice from contact with any contaminants.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,356,935 to Kamin describes a method and apparatus for storing and dispensing fluid foodstuff. The container includes a spiral wound tube having a circular retaining disc mounted at one end. The disc has an aperture, through which is mounted a pressure-responsive dispensing nozzle. A sheet of metallic material is attached to the dispensing nozzle to provide a temporary seal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,054 to Nycz describes a watertight molded plastic dispensing closure for attachment to the finish of a container. A body portion is connected to the finish, and a cover portion is hingedly attached to the body portion and is foldable with respect thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,268 to Han describes a pull-tab inner seal for sealing a container. The inner seal includes three layers, namely, a sealing material layer for bonding the inner seal to a container, a layer substantially impermeable to air and moisture, and a reinforcing layer. The reinforcing layer includes at least two plies of monoaxially oriented film combined in lamination with the strong direction of at least one ply crossing the weak direction of another ply.
Therefore, in order to overcome these and other problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a releasable closure for a fluid container that permits a person to drink from the container without removing the closure from the container.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a resealable closure for a fluid container that may be opened and closed with only one hand.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a resealable closure having a flip-type lid or cap for a fluid container that may be at least partially inserted into the mouth to minimize or eliminate spillage without-interference by the flip-type cap.
The above and other beneficial objects of the present invention are attained in accordance with the present invention by providing a closure for a fluid container that has a flip-type cap connected to a body by two hinges. The two hinges permit the cap to be rotated away from the body approximately 180-degrees between an opened position and a closed position. The closure further includes a spout portion that may be inserted into the mouth. The closure may include a tamper-evident band for visually indicating tampering with the closure, the fluid container or the contents thereof. The closure may further include a removable seal to further visually indicate tampering with the closure, the fluid container or the contents thereof and to prevent contamination and leakage of the contents from the fluid container.